Tire replacement

[Woodmaster]

I owned a 1973 Honda 70 as a teenager 30 years ago. Just picked up 1983 Honda 70 from a grandpa. He parked it 8 years ago after grandkid did something silly and popped front tire.
Is tire easy to replace simply by unscrewing the 2 piece wheel,
I have found 2 used aggressive, flat tires. WIll this work on the front? If I put 2 of these on rear will it drastically change handling? What is best website to buy tires, either new or used??
Is changing fuel and crankcase oil enough to try and run it, or should I go a little deeper.

Thanks for your input,
Woodmaster

[dougspcs]

Well to start welcome..

So you want to bring the old girl back to life? Well to start, yes to the oil change idea..then pull your tank and flush out the old and stinky that's in there. Then the carb best come apart and get a good cleaning..otherwise you may get it running. But you'll never get it running well until the old gum and dirt is cleaned out.

Definitely a fresh plug to go along with.

Lastly the tire..well I for one am ABLE to replace a tire on a split rim. But would prefer to send it to a tire shop..unless you have the right tools you could be in for a pain in the ass.

Whatever tire you choose just remember one thing..from one guy who was a teenager 30 years ago to another. Most modern tires are much heavier construction and don't have that balloon soft ride.

There are two things providing suspension on that trike..the tire and your spine. The heavier the tire, the more your spine will have to make up the difference.

Load up some pics..!!

[jb2wheels]

Since the stock Ohtsu tires are discontinued now, the closest thing is probably the Cheng Shin C829 knobby. I have 4 on my TRX and one of my ATCs had them, too. About $40 each just about everywhere - Amazon, Bike Bandit, etc.

Another alternative is the 5 for $40 Trail Wolf package from BMI Kart. I have a couple of new projects and will need 7 tires so these are an option:
http://www.bmikarts.com/Tires_c_280-1-1.html

Sometimes, especially if sealant has been used, getting tires off the 2 piece rims is really hard. The stock tires had an extra wide bead and any rust or other muck on the rim makes breaking the bead a real pain. I suggest breaking the beads before splitting the rims. I use my van to do it (drive over the tire right at the bead) but I also set up a press for the 7" wheels on the 70s.

When putting them back together, I've had problems getting a seal at the bead and between the rims. New tires don't have the super wide bead and the stock 70 rims don't have a bead retention hump on them.

I end up using silicone in both spots - on the beads and between the rims - even with the o-rings.

[GunsShooting]

Even if they are tubeless tires, you might want to tube 'em. I had to do that on my old 185, since I couldn't get a good seal between the halves. Be careful not to pinch the tube in between the wheel halves.

Russ

[jb2wheels]

I changed a couple of tires on my TRX70 last night. They were the original Othsu and split really bad. So, I cut them off before splitting the rims. The hardest part was the bead. I basically trimmed off all the rubber I could, then used some snips to cut the bead cable.

This thing had the cleanest rims (on the inside) I've seen in the past 5 years or so of swapping tires.